Paradise Line
by Shocky
Summary: [eb100] A series of drabbles in no particular chronological order.
1. Teddy Bear

"So why do you carry that bear around?"

Paula glanced up at Ness, who was walking backwards to better look at her. Her cheeks pinkened slightly (a very cute look for her), and she tightened her grip on the tattered stuffed toy.

"I know it seems childish," she laughed, shaking blonde curls away from her face, "and, well, it probably is. But I've had it since I was little, and it makes me feel safe. Like a security blanket."

"Yeah, I get what you mean." Ness looked the toy over appraisingly. "It's probably gonna rip soon, though."

"I know..."

Paula frowned, burying her face in the teddy bear's fur. Suddenly she realized that she could no longer hear Ness' footsteps. She looked up. Ness was grinning at her, holding his arm out.

"You could just hold on to me, if it makes you feel better. I won't rip."

She stood silent for a moment, gaze drifting from the bear to the boy. Then, smiling, she took his hand and gave it an affectionate squeeze. "Thanks," she whispered.

They walked on. 


	2. Sleep

The nights Jeff had trouble sleeping were, in his opinion, the best nights. Even though he'd always have his homework finished before class was even over, the quiet night hours gave him plenty of time to work on personal projects or fix gadgets belonging to classmates. 

Tony would ususally stay awake with him, not only because the noise kept him awake, but also to show moral support in whatever endeavour Jeff was undertaking this time. In truth, he really enjoyed just watching Jeff; his intense blue-eyed stare fixed on his project, how skillfully he handled the tools, tiny droplets of sweat sliding down his pale skin now and then... Even when exhaustion finally caught up with Tony, he continued to watch the genius at work in his dreams.

In the morning he would wake up on the floor, Jeff's jacket draped over him. He'd stay like that until he absolutely had to get up, in complete bliss. Those mornings were, in Tony's opinion, the best mornings. 


	3. Fuzzy Pickles!

Jeff stared up at the sky, absolutely horrified. What just happened? He must have been going crazy. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before he could finally speak.

"Did... Did you see that?!"

"Yup," Ness and Paula droned in unison. They didn't seem concerned.

"He just fell out of the sky!"

"Yup."

"And... Took our pictures!"

"Yup."

"And _fell back up!_"

"Yup."

Jeff turned his horrified stare to his two companions. "Don't you find that _weird?!_" 

"You get used to it," Ness shrugged, adjusting his backpack. "Let's go." Paula fell in step behind him and turned, encouraging Jeff to do the same. He was still quite horrified.

"Come on," Paula said, grabbing his arm. "It's not _that_ weird when you think about it. I mean, you did ride a lake monster to save us from zombies on our way to beat up some aliens, remember?" 

"I guess you're right," he said glumly, and decided to drop the subject.


	4. Ribbon

Convincing Poo to let his hair down was no easy task. However, as disciplined as Poo was, his will was no match for the determination of a woman. In the end he was stuck sitting with his dark, wavy hair spilling halfway down his back, completely at Paula's mercy.

Poo made a mental note to double his training.

"Your hair is beautiful!" His captor smiled, carefully running her pink brush through his hair. "You should untie it more often."

Poo started to shake his head, but ceased at the uncomfortable tugging. "It would get in the way when I fight."

"Why don't you cut it?"

"I cannot. In Dalaam, we keep our hair long to honour our gods. Cutting it off would shame one for life, even if it grows back." He glanced over his shoulder and smirked. "It's even worse if a member of the Royal Family does it. Nobody in that bloodline would ever rule again.

"We _are_ allowed to trim it," he added as an afterthought, "but only to keep it from getting too heavy."

"Hmm..." Paula set the brush aside and began working on a tight braid. "Well, it would be a shame for you to lose all this."

Poo closed his eyes, enjoying the gentle sensation on his scalp. He rarely had the chance to just relax like this, or have physical contact that didn't involve combat. It was... nice.

It was a few minutes before Paula finished, giggling to herself. "There, don't you look cute!"

"Cute?" Poo raised an eyebrow. Paula held the braid over the Prince's shoulder so he could see what she had done: tied around the end was a red satin bow, and Poo recognized it as the spare ribbon she had bought in Summers. This time both eyebrows raised.

"Sorry," Paula managed between giggles. "I'll put the other one back on."

Poo took hold of Paula's wrist before she could untie the ribbon. He felt his face heat up slightly at her questioning look.

"It is... cute. Let me keep it to remind me of you."

Now it was Paula's turn to be surprised. A delighted smile quickly spread over her face. "Of course!"

"Thank you." He touched the ribbon fondly before letting the braid fall back behind him. A brush appeared to take its place over his shoulder.

"Do mine?" Paula asked sweetly, pulling the ribbon out of her own hair with her free hand. Poo sighed and took the brush, allowing himself a small smile.

"Of course."


	5. Game Over

"Ness... Ness... Ness Ness Ness..."

The hollow voice seemed to both echo all around him and resonate from inside his mind as well, moaning his name again and again until it became something strange and unfamiliar, hardly like a name at all but just some sick sound of both lust and despair. It was maddening.

"I feel... h...a...p...p...y..."

Even in this robotic body, Ness could still feel everything Giygas did to him-- they weren't merely physical attacks, but an assault on his very _soul_. There was a sensation almost like tendrils of semi-solid fog licking against him all over; inside, outside, near, far, up and down. He was tormented by a mixture of unrelenting pain and explosive pleasure and... something else completely indescribable.

"Friends..."

Sheer terror gripped his heart in a cold vice. He wanted desperately to run away, to fight, to cry, to laugh, for all this to stop and for it to never end. He didn't even know what was right and what was wrong anymore.

"Ness..."

He just couldn't comprehend it anymore.


End file.
